Clint Eastwood has given the entertainment industry some of the finest and most historic works to date during his almost seven-decade-old and counting career – both as an incredible actor as well as a remarkable filmmaker. Despite being 93 currently, the director is still going strong, with his upcoming Juror No. 2 in talks to be in production.
In fact, almost two decades ago at the age of 75, when he received another Academy Award for Million Dollar Baby to add to his legendary Oscars collection, the director announced publicly how he is just a kid and has a long, long way to go!
Clint Eastwood Had No Intention To Stop Even At 75
This goes back to 2005 when the legendary actor cum filmmaker Clint Eastwood won his second Oscar on the same night for the film for Best Director: Million Dollar Baby. Back then the late director Sidney Lumet was still alive, so he took inspiration from him to continue his career despite being 75 at the time.
During his acceptance speech for the award at the 2005 Oscars, the Mystic River director said:
“I’m drawing a blank right now. But, Warren, you were right. And thank you, for your confidence earlier in the evening. I’m just lucky to be here. Lucky to be still working. And I watched Sidney Lumet, who is 80, and I figure, ‘I’m just a kid. I’ll just — I’ve got a lot of stuff to do yet.’ So thank you all very much. Appreciate it.”
Although legendary filmmaker Sidney Lumet is long gone now (may his soul rest in peace), the one who took inspiration from him to keep going is still alive and still working. And of course, fans hope he continues to do the same for a long, long time!
Warner Bros. Initially Rejected Million Dollar Baby (2004)
While it was Million Dollar Baby that added another trophy to Clint Eastwood’s Oscar collection along with making him realize what a long way in the entertainment industry he still has to undergo, Warner Bros. initially didn’t realize the true potential of the film and rejected it.
During an interview (via The Clint Eastwood Archive), the director shared the same:
“I liked the Million Dollar Baby script a lot,” he said. “Warner Bros. said the project had been submitted to them and they’d passed on it. I said, ‘But I like it.’ They said, ‘Well, it’s a boxing movie.’ And I said, ‘It’s not a boxing movie in my opinion. It’s a father-daughter love story, and it’s a lot of other things besides a boxing movie.’ They hemmed and hawed and finally said that if I wanted to take it, maybe they’d pay for the domestic rights only. After that, I’d be on my own.”
But that, of course, didn’t sit well with the filmmaker, and thus, he had to go on search once again.
“We took it to a couple of other studios, and they turned it down, much like Mystic River was turned down — the exact same pattern. People who kept calling and saying, ‘Come on, work with us on stuff.’ I’d give it to them, and they’d go, ‘Uh, we were thinking more in terms of Dirty Harry coming out of retirement.’ And who knows? Maybe when it comes out they’ll be proven right.”
However, after trying and trying and trying, Warner Bros. finally agreed to the movie when Eastwood told them:
“I don’t know if this is going to make any money. But, I think I can make a picture that you’d be proud to have in your library.”
Turns out he did create a picture that the company is more than proud to have in its library considering the seven whopping Oscar nominations the film garnered, winning a stunning four out of them!
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